Australia: Sounds like

From Australia's Aboriginal music to New Zealand's all-Maori vocals, Simon Broughton samples a range of traditional as well as contemporary tunes

12:01AM BST 10 Aug 2001

AUSTRALIA boasts one of the most familiar of all musical instruments - the didgeridoo; the best use yet discovered for a termite-hollowed eucalyptus log. Like Uluru (Ayers Rock), the instrument has become a totemic icon. It has also played an important role in the campaign for Aboriginal rights, in which musicians have been active over the past decade.

The group Yothu Yindi, formed in 1988, integrates Aboriginal and rock styles and has become one of Australia's most successful international acts. One of the strengths of the didgeridoo (or didj as it's affectionately known) is that it can be both earthily traditional and avant-garde - something exploited by top players such as Mark Atkins and Charlie McMahon.

A different tradition of Aboriginal music is represented by singers Kev Carmody and Charlie Roach, both of whom were taken from their families as children to be brought up by whites in an extraordinary policy practised in the 1950s and 1960s. Contemporary Australia, however, is a rich mix of people and music, and a couple of the CDs below reflect this diversity.

The Maori music of New Zealand (Aotearoa) does not have a powerful musical symbol like the didgeridoo - although the haka chants adopted by the All Blacks are well known. But Maori music is on the up, exemplified by the group Wai, whose compelling 21st-century take on traditional chants is starting to make waves in Europe.

Australian labels are hard to find in the United Kingdom, so buying anything other than Rough Guide and Network CDs will probably involve hunting on the net: www.aboriginalaustralia.com; maorimusic.com is excellent for Maori music.

Rough Guide to Australian Aboriginal Music (World Music Network RGNET 1026). An excellent introduction to traditional and modern Aboriginal music, plus a sprinkling of singer-songwriters. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £7.99. Click here to order a copy online.

The Maori Music Collection (Jayrem JAY360). The only all-round introduction to Maori music: 16 tracks from 10 different musicians and groups.

Ankala: Rhythms from the Outer Core (Network 28.295). If you just want one didj album go for this - Mark Atkins with multi-instrumentalist Mike Atherton in an atmospheric evocation of the sounds and space of Australia. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £14.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Gondwana: Xenophon (Shock Records SHOCK0027). Charlie McMahon is Australia's leading white didj player and innovator: Australia's answer to Massive Attack. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £13.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Kev Karmody Pillars of Society (Larrikin/Festival CDCRF237). Great singer-songwriter and unrelenting critic of white Australian society's treatment of the Aborigines. Has supported Billy Bragg and Bob Dylan on tour.

Mara! Sezoni (Real World CDRW78). Fronted by the powerful voice of Mara Kiek, this recording features Balkan tunes with a 25-piece Bulgarian choir - all Australian based. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £12.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Archie Roach Charcoal Lane (Mushroom/Hightone Records HCD 8037). A strong personal album including his classic "Took the Children Away". It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £7.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Wai 100 Per Cent (Jayrem CDJAY361). Dance-friendly grooves and all-Maori vocals contribute to the music's percussive lift. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £12.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Yothu Yindi Tribal Voice (Mushroom/Hollywood Records HR-61288-2). This 1992 album was a landmark in Aboriginal music and the first to cross over to a mainstream audience. It is available from Amazon.co.uk at the price of £14.99. Click here to order a copy online.

Zulya Alouki (Zulya ZK02). Zulya Kamalova is a Russian Tartar by origin. This is an infectious album of contemporary arrangements of traditional and composed material. World Music Album of the Year at last year's Australian World Music Awards.